Trent Bridge

Hampshire v Notts: day one

Featured News | 11th June 2009

Luke Fletcher was the star again for Nottinghamshire on the first day of their LV County Championship match at Hampshire - but this time with the bat rather than the ball.

The 20-year-old boomed 92 off 122 balls to rescue Notts from a sticky afternoon session which had seen the visitors collapse to 147-7 and posted 152 for the eighth wicket with Mark Ealham (65 not out).

That broke a 76-year-old club record against Hampshire and was the sixth-highest ever for the eighth wicket.

A delighted Fletcher said: “I enjoyed myself and it really helped to be batting with Ealy, who has a similar approach to batting as me.

“He’s got so much experience and kept supporting me. I just thought I would go out and try to be positive and as the innings went on, we focused on getting to 300 for the third batting bonus point.

“I’ve not even scored a century for the Second XI so as I got closer it did cross my mind. But all I was trying to do against Imran Tahir was push a single and he completely beat me, to be fair.

“It was disappointing to miss out on the hundred but I would definitely have taken 92 at the start of the day.”

Skipper Chris Read had chosen to bat first after winning the toss but the familiar problems at the top of the order reared their head again as Bilal Shafayat and Will Jefferson were both back in the pavilion with the score on 34.

And Mark Wagh, a centurion two days earlier against Warwickshire, only made 21 before he was caught by Sean Ervine off the bowling of David Griffiths.

Samit Patel (41) and Adam Voges pushed the scoreboard past 100 only for four wickets to fall for 24 runs, but Fletcher and Ealham counter-attacked in entertaining fashion to bring up three valuable batting points.

Fletcher thumped three sixes and nine fours before he was finally bowled by Imran Tahir eight short of a richly-deserved hundred.

Ealham remains at the crease having hit nine fours and a six of his own and Notts will be aiming to pass 350 in the morning before Hampshire begin their first innings.